Marketing Blog

We’ve had multiple clients call us recently because they received a “domain listing” solicitation in the mail. They felt funny about the letter, which was surely designed to look like an invoice, and both came close to paying it. Because that’s part of having a business, right? You pay the bills. You protect your marketing investments. And your domain name is one investment you can’t afford to let lapse. But we’re so glad our clients listened to their spidey-sense and brought our attention to this scam. It turns out a lot of people do end up paying this company — …

Who doesn’t love free stuff, right? But if the free stuff is a mysterious package from Google that shows up unrequested, it feels a little weird. Here’s the scoop: Google is expanding its Beacon Project and has been sending out boxes containing tiny white devices and vague instructions to all kinds of businesses. Slightly creepy, yes, but we’ve put together this guide to help you learn about the Beacon Project and how to leverage it to grow your business. What is Beacon? The Beacon Project is an initiative from Google that aims to increase location accuracy for mobile users. Google …

I made a late-night run to a shady little gas station with blinking fluorescents last night. Though it isn’t the best choice I’ve ever made, it didn’t feel like a choice at the time. It was a need. Now I know what you’re thinking. And you’re right: I have a problem. But have you tried S’mores Pop-Tarts? Don’t judge me till you’ve tried the little devil pastries. Anyway, I grabbed their three boxes (go big or go home), paid, and headed home. But when I eagerly opened the plastic bag … two boxes. It’s so unsettling to purchase something — …

Build your social media presence in 15 minutes a day “I stay away from Facebook. I don’t have time to learn how to manage a page, and I hear people waste too much time and money without getting results.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard this. When you are a busy and active director of business development, it’s hard to add that essential marketing piece: building a strong social media presence. But we all have mental blocks — a preference to avoid the unfamiliar, overwhelmed at the thought of managing a hospital Facebook page. Luckily this director was also …

You’ve been queasy about presenting your team’s annual review all week. Not that you have anything to be nervous about — you guys are killing it! Nevertheless, as pens click, slideshows flash, and each department has their turn, your palms sweat. Your heart rate spikes. You’re next. Your nerves reflect your insight into how important it is to communicate your team’s value to other departments. Because great internal communications are the key to: More money and resources Great workplace vibes Team unity Respect from other departments How focusing on internal communications pays off When you exist within a larger organization, …

Focus on selling managed IT services to the right people We all know time is money, but particularly in the field of managed IT service, there’s just no getting around the fact that spending time pitching your benefits to “window shoppers” costs you time and chips into your salary. There’s a pervasive old myth that in the “numbers game” of sales you’ll eventually come out on top if you have enough meetings and calls with prospective clients. But that math just doesn’t work out when you’re selling managed IT services, which by nature require more in-depth interaction and transacting than, …

What you value determines your leadership style As a leader in your workplace, you’ll tend to err toward either a traditional managerial style, or a more team-oriented leadership style. Which one sounds more like you? Maybe it’s easier to ask: if you had to value one over the other, would you choose efficiency, or effectiveness? Obviously both efficiency and efficacy matter So is it ultimately better to be efficient or effective, as a leader? I mean, I made you pick one, so it must matter — right? This is the real question we’re trying to answer when we compare the …

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Dr. Seuss My brothers and I grew up with Dr. Seuss’s books on our shelf and that’s one of my favorite quotes. The doctor’s wisdom is undisputed and transcends ages, cultures, and even context. In marketing and advertising, unless you’re able to stand out from the rest, you’ll just be adding to that background noise people usually opt to skip. When was the the last time an ad actually stopped you from changing the channel or hitting the skip button? It could have been the catchy jingle, a funny …

Sometimes you can’t make it on your own Confession time. So I work out. I may not be an Olympian, but I consider myself pretty strong and I appreciate what my body is capable of. Naturally, I assumed my discipline in weight training and cardio would translate into being a (the?) star player on my church volleyball team. I didn’t practice volleyball, of course. Because I had physical strengths already. Guys, it was ugly. We lost 4/4 games. I hurt my hand. And my ego is nursing a bruise. Business DIYs can hurt too Turns out there’s a big difference …

Jazz and plane crashes: Only the adaptable survive TIffany and I recently had the privilege of joining today’s top marketing and sales professionals at Inbound 2017. And you know what surprised me? The thought that today’s top dogs aren’t necessarily going to be around next year. Technology, competition, strategies, the economy, super volcanos … There are a lot of variables beyond our control that will impact which faces will be there to speak and learn next year. It’s the kind of thing that keeps me up at night. So how are we, PixelMark, going to ensure we stay sharp and …